Playing Club Sports:  For many athletes, it's a requirement in getting recruited

For many high school athletes, playing on a club sports team during the off-season is a key component in their overall athletic development.  It can also mean the difference between playing at the college level or getting passed over for a sports scholarship.

More and more college coaches now look at club participation by high school athletes as an indicator of overall talent as well as a commitment by the athlete to be the best they can be.  With the wide availability of club sports around the country, college coaches often now assume that if someone doesn't play for a club during their high school off-season they may not have the desire to truly get to the top of their game.  This line of thinking started back in the early 1990's and has grown to the point that many D1 college coaches now look primarily at club activity and success as a gauge for how the athlete will compete at the college level.

Of course, this doesn't apply to every sport.  Football players will still make or break their chances of playing college ball on the high school football field.  However, the following sports often rely more and more on club participation by a high school prospect:

· SOCCER:  It has become almost a requirement for Division I and II soccer programs that prospects play a competitive club soccer schedule.  Athletes who play only high school soccer will probably not be at the competitive level that their club sport counterparts are at when being evaluated by a college coach. Furthermore in many states, soccer players not involved in competing for their area Olympic Development Program (ODP) team risk being overlooked by higher level D1 programs.  By far, college soccer coaches look more closely at club sport participation than almost any other college sport.

· SOFTBALL:  Playing a competitive club softball travel schedule is becoming more and more of a requirement by college coaches.  Here again, athletes who do not play year around often do not develop their skills at the rate someone playing a competitive year-around schedule does.  That makes a difference when being recruited by a college coach.

· BASEBALL:  Taking nothing away from Legion programs which in many areas remain strong, independent travel/club teams have become more and more prolific in recent years and are definitely something that every serious high school baseball player should look into.  There are a variety of summer leagues that can provide great off-season opportunities for high school baseball players to improve their game. 

· VOLLEYBALL:  Club volleyball has risen in popularity in the past decade. Coaches will often travel to large volleyball tournaments that feature a number of high caliber club teams to judge talent they already know about, as well as find new talent.  High school volleyball players still have an excellent chance of relying on their high school experience to get them to the next level, especially if they are involved in other sports like basketball, softball or track and field.  However, playing a competitive club volleyball schedule doesn't hurt either.

· SWIMMING:  Swimmers who don't train and compete throughout the year will likely not have what it takes in terms of their event times to be considered at the college level.  This is a sport that requires a delicate balance between ongoing development and burn out.  Swimmers, more than any other athletes, seem to be most prone to giving up their sport by the time they reach their senior year of high school.  Swimming is one of the most demanding sports there is, and a lot of high school age swimmers are ready to ditch the 5 A.M. workouts and weight training as they head into college.  However, the fact remains that competing in college will often require an athlete to compete on a club swim team during their high school career.

Other sports like tennis and golf require year around training.  Almost every sport requires an athlete to have solid overall athletic talent before they can be ready to compete at the next level. 

However, for athletes interested in being considered for college sports scholarships in the sports listed above, playing a club schedule that improves the talent level of the athlete isn't a luxury, it's a necessity.